Colorado Rapids add Rio Soccer Club to adidas Alliance

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (Monday, September 9, 2013) – The Colorado Rapids announced on Monday that the club joined with the Rio Soccer Club of New Mexico, to create the Rio Rapids Soccer Club, which will join the Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club and the Carolina Rapids Soccer Club as part of the Rapids adidas Alliance. The Albuquerque, N.M. club currently has a membership of more than 1,200 boys and girls of all ages and abilities, and affiliates in Las Cruces, N.M.

"We are extremely excited to work with Rio Soccer Club," said Brian Crookham, the Rapids’ Senior Director of Youth Development. “The Rio staff and board have worked hard to ensure that they have an environment that creates opportunity for players of all levels and abilities. This market is very important to us and we look forward to a long relationship."

“The Alliance is a fantastic opportunity for the players of New Mexico," said Rio Rapids President Greg Woodhouse "Not only from a player development perspective, but it also completes the pathway to participation at the highest level, whether that is college or professional soccer."

As part of the Rapids adidas Alliance, the Rio Rapids will work with the Rapids Academy staff to provide common coaching and parent education, and will receive administrative support from Rapids Academy staff who will be on site several times throughout the year.

The clubs will also work together on future business initiatives and provide players with unique experiences on both the team and individual level. For more information, visit www.ColoradoRapids.com and www.riosoccerclub.org.

About the Colorado Rapids adidas Alliance
On June 9, 2009, the Colorado Rapids launched the Rapids adidas Alliance, one of the most integrated partnerships in American youth soccer. The Alliance includes the Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club and the Carolina Rapids Soccer Club, and was established to create a working relationship with existing youth soccer clubs that will benefit soccer development through shared resources and a focus on individual player development. The participating clubs utilize specialized curriculums and management resources modeled around those of the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club, and receive on-site support from Colorado Rapids Academy staff several times throughout the year. For more information, visit www.ColoradoRapids.com/youth.